


Amidst a Tyrant's Night

by excelgesis



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark Magic, M/M, Magic, but it's not as dark as it sounds, hyungwon owns minhyuk's soul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 15:51:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12685011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/excelgesis/pseuds/excelgesis
Summary: Perhaps the Nightwalkers had been real once, a thousand lifetimes ago when the hills still whispered with dark magic...





	Amidst a Tyrant's Night

**Author's Note:**

> "The night is darkening round me,  
> The wild winds coldly blow ;  
> But a tyrant spell has bound me,  
> And I cannot, cannot go."  
> \- Emily Jane Brontë "The Night Is Darkening Around Me" 
> 
> [for ayesha; i hope you had the best birthday and i love you <3 ]

          Minhyuk knew about the Nightwalkers. The people in his village had told stories about them for centuries, weaving dark tales around hearth fires to frighten the young children into staying indoors at night.

          And perhaps the Nightwalkers had been real once, a thousand lifetimes ago when the hills still whispered with dark magic. All the stories told of their arrival, the way they had slipped into the village on black stallions to lure in unsuspecting civilians with their silk-soft words. The way they pulled you in, closer and closer, the magic sparking on their fingertips until you could think of nothing else. It was said that no one lived long after encountering a Nightwalker.

          So yes, perhaps they had been real once. Perhaps magic had rested high in tangled tree branches and whispered spells with the flowing river, but it was all gone now. Minhyuk wanted to believe it had existed. He wanted to believe that there was a time when his village thrummed with that power. He listened to his grandmother spin stories by firelight, watching as her hands told tales of the dark magicians who claimed the souls of the living.

          “Beacons of death, Nightwalkers are,” she whispered. “Harbingers of the end.”

          The stories were kept alive like that, around warm fires as the sun dipped below the horizon. Minhyuk knew that the most terrifying beasts to roam the forest were wolves, not dark bringers of death. And though the wolves had never attacked his village, he was glad for the terrifying tales of the Nightwalkers that kept his younger sister safe inside their house. They had kept him safe when he was a boy, and had kept his mother safe before him. His father was the only one to venture outdoors at night, but Minhyuk knew better than to ask why.

          It was a bitter winter night – the coldest in decades – when Minyhuk faced the night’s inky blackness for the first time. His father had not returned for the night, and both his mother and his sister were restless with worry.

          “I’ll go after him,” Minhyuk said, fetching a lantern from the kitchen shelf. He knew that, as the family’s only son, he was obligated to step up when the situation called for it. His stomach twisted nonetheless, turning inside out at the thought of leaving the house alone.

          “No!” His mother clung to his arm, her eyes wide with desperation. “It’s not safe out there, Minhyuk, you can’t--”

          He placed a hand over hers and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I won’t be out long, mother. I’m sure father just got turned around in the forest on his way home. You know how awful he is with directions.” His voice remained steady, though he couldn’t imagine how. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before pulling his cloak from its peg and securing it around his neck.

          The wind was daggers and ice, piercing straight to the bone with every step he took. The snow piled in drifts that reached to his knees. He held his lantern high, scanning the edge of the forest for any sign of his father. Any footprints had disappeared in the strong wind. Snowflakes clung to his eyelashes, obscuring his vision until the entire forest was a mass of frigid white.

          “You won’t find him.” The voice came from behind, and Minyhuk whirled around, his lantern flickering and threatening to die out.

          He could just make out a figure at the edge of the lantern’s light, tall and cloaked in a black so dark it seemed to have been woven from the night sky itself. The light seemed to shy away from him as it pushed back toward Minyhuk, refusing to move forward. He held the lantern higher, but it was of no use. The light bent around the figure, warping and fizzling out like a match flame in water.

          Minhyuk’s heart was in his throat. “W-who are you?”

          “It hardly matters. I take it you’re looking for your father?” The voice was cold and smoother than silk.

          “Do you know where he is?” Minhyuk took a step forward, anxious to see the face of this man who hid behind the night.

          “I do, and I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do for him now.”

          Minhyuk’s lips were stiff with cold and it took him several tries to ask “What’s happened to him?”

          “Bad things happen to people who play with dark magic,” the figure said softly. “He knew this was coming.”

          Minhyuk felt his breath vanish from his chest. “Magic? What are you talking about?”

          The figure hummed. “He never told you.” It wasn’t a question. “How selfish of him, really.”

          “Tell me where my father is.” The words came out cold and harsh. Minyhuk took another step forward and then two more.

          The figure didn’t flinch. “I suggest you go home. Do you really want to die out here?”

          Minhyuk’s limbs were aching with cold and each breath tore through his chest as the bitter chill found its way in. His clothing was damp and heavy, and he wanted nothing more than to turn around and head home.

          “But my father,” he whispered.

          “He’s beyond saving. I told you to go home.”

          Minhyuk felt ire roll through his veins at the man’s tone. “Am I supposed to assume you know what’s best? You don’t own me.”

          There was a sound like wind through bare branches, and Minyhuk realized the figure was laughing at him.

          “Oh my.” The man’s voice was velvet and silk. “You’re wrong about that.”

****

          His mother and sister were asleep near the dying fire when he returned. He placed his soaked cloak on the back of a chair and headed to the loft, where he collapsed into bed with a sigh. He dreaded the morning, dreaded having to explain that his father was still missing.

          “Your mother will understand.” That silk-soft voice again.

          Minhyuk sat upright in bed and glanced around wildly. “How did you get in here?”

          The figure stood in the far corner of the room and gestured vaguely toward the window. It was open ever so slightly, barely a hair’s breadth from the sill. “Open windows are basically an invitation.”

          Minhyuk swallowed. “What are you?”

          “You catch on quickly.” The figure moved forward on soundless feet. “I believe your grandmother once called us ‘beacons of death’, although I take slight offense to that.”

          Minhyuk felt ice in his veins. “A Nightwalker?”

          The figure inclined his head. “At your service.”

          “But Nightwalkers don’t exist,” Minhyuk choked. “They’re just a story to keep kids out of the woods at night.”

          “All stories are based in truth, Minhyuk.”

          Minhyuk scrambled backward, his back pressing against the freezing wall. “How do you know my name?” His head spun and he felt sick.

          “I’ve known you since you were born. You can thank your father, honestly. He gave me such a generous gift.” He stepped closer, and the room’s temperature dropped like hailstones to earth.

          “Gift?” Minhyuk felt like the string of an instrument being pulled too tight. He was about to snap, and he wasn’t sure what would happen when he did.

          “Your soul,” the figure breathed. “All mine for the taking.”

          A burning curiosity drowned out the fear in Minhyuk’s head, and he found himself leaning forward. “Excuse me?”

          The figure moved closer still and Minhyuk shivered. “Tell me, Minhyuk,” he said softly. “How long has this village been at peace?”

          It seemed like an odd question, and Minhyuk simply shrugged. “As long as I can remember.”

          “As long as you’ve been alive. A bit odd, don’t you think?”

          Minhyuk frowned and the figure drew ever closer. The room was dark, but he could just make out the glint of eyes underneath that dark hood, and the slight curve of full lips. “What’s odd about it?”

          “Before you were born, there was nothing but plague and famine in this village. The crops failed year after miserable year, children died in the arms of their mothers, people watched their families waste away to nothing. And that’s when they turned to us.” His hood fell back then, and Minhyuk was startled by wide eyes and a shock of tousled light hair. He looked surprisingly human, and Minhyuk couldn’t look away. There was something trapped in his eyes, bright and inviting and curious.

          “People aren’t meant to dabble in dark magic, Minhyuk. We told your father that a dozen times. We warned him about this.”

          Minhyuk shook his head. “I don’t understand. Magic isn’t real, none of this is--”

          The man held up a delicate hand. “Most magic died out decades ago. We’re the only ones left, and we’ve paid a hefty price. We’ve been whittled down to mere shadows of our former selves. I used to do great things, Minhyuk, things you could never even dream of. And now I’m expected to lead souls to the afterlife like a common farmer leads horses to water?” He made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat.

          “You’ve lost me,” Minhyuk said.

          The man let out a soft sigh. Minhyuk thought he looked almost vulnerable like this, and he found himself wondering how long it had been since the man had truly spoken with someone.

          “We had so much power back then.” His tone was all anger and hard edges. “But power fades over time, much like everything else. Accessing the barrier between life and death is the simplest form of magic there is. Once a soul leaves the body, we guide them on their way to the afterlife, or whatever it is that comes after death. It’s all we can do, so we’ve clung to it. But your father” – he ran a hand through his light hair, and Minhyuk was momentarily mesmerized by the action – “he sought us out, deep in the forest. How he found us I’ll never guess. And he made an offer, harkening back to the oldest magic known to man.”

          “What…” Minhyuk breathed.

          “He offered us his living soul, and that of his first born son. Pledged himself to us in return for the eradication of disease and famine. It’s ancient magic, Minhyuk, strong and dark. We were able to feed off the power of those living souls to bring your village peace. We regained what we had lost, and your father got the peace and tranquility he was hoping for.”

          Minhyuk felt as if he had been hit in the stomach. There was a ringing in his ears and a bad taste on his tongue. “My father’s first born son…”

          The man raised an eyebrow. “Right you are.”

          “So what?” Minhyuk swallowed and glanced up at him. “You own my soul?”

          “Right again.” He tilted his head to one side. “I have ever since you were born. It’s nice to finally, truly meet you.” He held out a hand, and Minhyuk took note of his long, slim fingers and delicate wrists. He reached out and clasped the man’s hand in his. It was cold, but not unpleasantly so, and a shiver crawled down Minhyuk’s spine.

          “So what does that mean, then?” He asked.

          The man pulled his hand back. “It means I hold more power than any of us ever have.”

          “And what are you planning on doing with that power?”

          “I’ve not yet decided.” The man let out a breath. “I’m obligated to keep this village free of disease and famine until you die, but aside from that, the possibilities are truly endless.”

          The spark of fear in Minhyuk’s chest had died completely, replaced by a burning curiosity that forced more questions to his lips. “Could you control the weather? Or the changing of the seasons? Could you grant wishes?”

          He huffed. “I’m not a genie, Minhyuk. And I’m far too powerful to do simple party tricks just for your amusement.”

          “Come on.” Minhyuk reached out to grab the man’s wrist. “Show me something. I’m positively dying to see.”

          The man flinched back from Minhyuk’s touch and sighed. “Out of all the souls I could have had, why did it have to be someone like you?”

          “I take offense to that.”

          “I was hoping you would.”

          Minhyuk frowned. “You’re really not very nice, are you?”

          “Niceties are tiresome, Minhyuk.” He brushed a stray lock of hair back from his forehead.

          “Tell me your name, at least. It isn’t fair that you know mine when I don’t know yours.”

          There was something unreadable in the man’s eyes. “Hyungwon,” he said. “My name is Hyungwon.”

****

          Minhyuk’s father never returned home, and although his mother shed tears, he could see the knowledge in her eyes, could see that she had been expecting this. It hurt, knowing that his parents had kept such a secret from him. He wanted to yell and tear the house apart, rant and rave that they had no right selling his soul to a dark magician before he was even born.

          But Hyungwon proved to be surprisingly tolerant when Minhyuk came to him with his frustrations.

          “It’s completely unfair!” He shouted once, tugging at his hair as he paced the same steps back and forth. “It’s _my_ soul, not their plaything to tamper with! And you know what else? It’s not your plaything, either! It belongs to me!”

          “Technically it belongs to both of us,” Hyungwon had said. He tugged gently at Minhyuk’s fingers until he stopped pulling at his hair. “Haven’t we had this discussion already?”

          Minhyuk huffed and sank onto the edge of the bed. “I just wish they would have said something. I wish they trusted me enough to tell me.”

          Hyungwon hummed. “I’m sure they were only trying to keep you safe.”

          “It didn’t do much good, did it? I’m still bound to a Nightwalker for the rest of my life.”

          “Is that such a bad thing?” Hyungwon quirked a brow.

          Minhyuk scrubbed at his eyes with both hands. “I guess it isn’t. Because it’s you.”

          Hyungwon blinked. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

          “You know.” Minhyuk waved a hand vaguely. “You’re not really evil or power-hungry or the like. You’re surprisingly nice, all things considered.”

          “You didn’t seem to think so a few weeks ago.”

          “I barely knew you then.”

          Hyungwon took a step closer and Minhyuk felt the temperature drop. “You barely know me now, Minhyuk.”

          Minhyuk stretched out across the bed and flung an arm over his eyes. “Tell me about yourself, then. I could get to know you.”

          It continued like that for days that stretched into weeks. They were caught up in idle chatter during those hazy moments when evening morphed into night, and Minyhuk viewed Hyungwon through eyes heavy with sleep once he blew out the lantern. The light still bent around him, but Minhyuk liked him better in the cozy black of night. It was velvety darkness in which Hyungwon spoke the most and became the most comfortable version of himself. Minhyuk learned a lot about Hyungwon in those dark hours.

          It was one of those nights where conversation flowed like running water, and Minhyuk’s eyes had just fluttered shut as his words slurred with fatigue.

          “Minyhuk.” It was Hyungwon’s voice, a whisper soft as petals.

          “Mmm?”

          “I’d like to show you something.”

          Minhyuk sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “Right now?”

          “If you don’t mind.”

          Minhyuk sat up in bed and draped the blanket around his shoulders. “What?”

          “Come along.” Hyungwon tugged at the comforter, a small smile playing around the corners of his lips. “I’ve found something that reminds me of you.”

          And they were outside, Minyhuk’s boots heavy on his feet and his cloak clutched around himself with both hands.

          “Where are we going?” He shouted against the wailing wind.

          Hyungwon said nothing.

          Minhyuk felt as if several lifetimes had passed by the time Hyungwon stopped walking. They were poised at the edge of a massive frozen lake dusted with snow and the prints of wild animals.

          “This reminds you of me?” Minhyuk’s voice dripped with incredulity.

          “Not this,” Hyungwon said softly. “This.” He raised both hands high against the frigid wind and magic sparked golden on his fingertips.

          Minhyuk could only watch as the ice along the lake’s surface cracked and split, rushing toward the outer banks as if tugged by invisible hands. A soft green sprung up in its place, dotted with wildflowers in vibrant reds and yellows. The snow under his feet swirled higher and higher, carried away on a gust of wind until warm earth was left behind. A soft breeze brought with it the scent of grass and sunshine, and stars winked in the velvet sky.

          “What…” Minhyuk breathed. “What is this?”

          Hyungwon was staring at him, his eyes wide and expectant. “Summer.” His voice was quiet. “It reminds me of you.”

          “I don’t understand. How did you…”

          “Do you like it?”

          Minhyuk let out a breath. “I love it, of course. It’s beautiful. But why… How does this remind you at all of me?”

          “It’s warm and inviting and colorful. Like you.”

          “What nonsense,” Minhyuk whispered, but he could feel his face heat up at the words. His heart fluttered in his chest like a trapped hummingbird. “I thought you were too powerful to do party tricks for my amusement.”

          “Perhaps your amusement means more to me now.” Hyungwon’s tone was pensive.

          Minhyuk grinned and reached for Hyungwon’s wrist. “Come on.”

          His eyebrows rose but he allowed Minhyuk to drag him easily. “To where?”

          “To stargaze,” Minhyuk chirped. “I’ve never been able to do it, I’ve only read about it in books.” He flopped down in an expanse of warm grass and tugged at Hyungwon’s arm. “Lay here with me.”

          “What’s the purpose of this?” He sat down warily, eyes trained on Minhyuk.

          Minhyuk pointed toward the sky. “Have you never stargazed before?”

          Hyungwon shook his head.

          “All those years spent walking through the night, and you never once took in the stars? And here I was, forced to stay indoors because of stories about you.”

          “It never crossed my mind,” Hyungwon said with a shrug.

          “Let it cross your mind now.” Minhyuk tugged on his wrist again.

          Hyungwon gave him one last glance before laying down next to him. Minhyuk felt cold fingers on his own, and he grasped Hyungwon’s hand tightly.

          “That’s one’s Lyra.” He used his free hand to point skyward. He had admired the night sky through books, tracing his fingers over the inked pages until their contents were printed across his mind. “And that one is Pegasus. Do you see them?”

          He heard Hyungwon let out a breathy laugh. “I see them.”

          Minhyuk smiled as a warm affection bubbled up in his chest. He drew the Summer Triangle with his fingertip and pointed out the other constellations he could recognize. He heard Hyungwon hum appreciatively every few moments, and he grasped his hand tighter. If Minhyuk was like a warm summer’s night, then Hyungwon would be its opposite, a chilly winter evening with snow pressing against the windows and a fire in the hearth. Warm comfort surrounded by a bitter chill.

          “Hyungwon?”

          “Hmm?”

          Minhyuk turned his head toward him and felt the breath disappear from his chest. He was positively ethereal like this, with his light hair against the warm grass and starlight reflected in his eyes.

          “Will you collect my soul when I die?”

          Hyungwon blinked and kept his gaze on the sky. “Yes.”

          “But don’t you think it’s a bit unfair?”

          Hyungwon turned to look at him. “What’s unfair, Minhyuk?”

          “That you have my soul, but I have nothing of yours.”

          “Minhyuk,” Hyungwon breathed, his voice falling into a velvet-soft gentleness. “If I had a soul, I would give it to you. That and so much more.”

          Something came over Minyhuk then, an affection so strong he felt breathless, and he moved closer, closer, and closer still—

          And when their lips met, it was everything he could have imagined, as soft and cold as the winter’s first snow, and yet as warm as the summertime sun. He could feel Hyungwon’s fingers in his hair and taste him on his tongue. And he knew that even if he were to live a thousand lifetimes, it would never get better than this.

****

          Minhyuk thought that maybe seventy years had passed – perhaps more, perhaps less – and he could still feel Hyungwon’s fingers cool against his skin. He lay in bed and shuffled through memories the way one might shuffle a deck of cards. He focused on the good ones, the happy ones: Hyungwon’s lips on his, their tangled laughter on balmy summer nights, their fingers in each other’s hair.

          “Minhyuk.” The voice was soft, but he could hear the strain in it.  

          Minhyuk’s breath rattled in his chest. He tried to turn his head, but he felt as if his body had been filled with lead. Every breath was a chore. “It’s my time,” he wheezed.

          He heard Hyungwon choke back a sob. “It is.”

          Minhyuk managed to turn his head then, and there he was, as beautiful as the day he had first met him. His eyes were bright with tears.

          “I’ll guide your soul well,” Hyungwon choked out.

          “And what about your soul?” Minhyuk gasped, searching for the answer he knew Hyungwon would give.  

          Hyungwon placed a hand over his. “If I had a soul, I would give it to you. That and so much more.”

          Minhyuk smiled at the words, and they played in his head like a sugar-sweet melody as he took his final breath and the world went dark.

**Author's Note:**

> my first time writing anything in the monsta x fandom  
> please let me know your thoughts ^^


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